Foote and China: How It All Began

Foote School has an active and vibrant relationship wirh Yali Middle School in Changsha, China. A "guest" teacher from Yali spends the fall semester at Foote, participating in classes across the school. A delegation of students and faculty visit Foote each fall, enjoying classes home stays with Foote families.. Foote's ninth grade visits China each March, with the visit to Yali the highlight.

Foote’s international partnerships began when Henry Fan approached the Yale-China Association in 1998 with the idea of a U.S.-China teacher exchange program. He envisioned a link with Huizhen Academy, the independent elementary school he had founded four years earlier in Ningbo and an American elementary school.

Established in 1901, the Yale-China Association is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote mutual understanding between Chinese and Americans through teaching and service. They suggested Mr. Fan meet with then Head of School Jean Lamont and together, working with staff from Yale-China, they began to develop a program that brought teachers annually from Huizhen to teach at Foote for a semester and allowed Foote teachers to travel to China and teach at Huizhen.

Student Travel Begins

In 2004, thanks to a foundation grant that provided funding so the trip could be made available to all ninth graders, eight pioneer students, with teachers Hannah Leckman and Adam Solomon, visited Huizhen Academy over spring vacation.

A New Connection: Yali Middle School

Starting in 2005, Foote began an exchange with a middle school founded in Changsha in 1906 by Yale. Yali (an early Chinese transliteration of "Yale") Middle School was known throughout China in the first half of the century for the quality of its instruction.  In 1951, the municipal government took over administration of the school, moved it to its present 17-acre campus in the center of the city, and changed its name to the Changsha Number Five Middle School.  In 1985, with the re-establishment of relations with Yale-China and with the support of its Chinese alumni, the school was renamed and is once again known as Yali Middle School. Yali is a "key" secondary school, receiving priority in funding and faculty recruitment. Yale-China currently sends four Fellows to teach at Yali Middle School each year.
Photos: Upper right: Foote students in a computer lab at Yali. Left: Foote students and faculty on the Great Wall in 2009.

Yali Middle School Visits Foote

From September 28 to October 2, 2010 a delegation of 22 students from Foote's sister school, Yali Middle School in Changsha, China, visited Foote, attending classes and getting to know the school, the students and the faculty. This was the fourth year in a row that Yali students and faculty visited Foote. The students all stayed with Foote host families, just as Foote students stay with Yali familes when they visit China in the spring. The Chinese students also joined Foote ninth graders on a field trip to the West River, part of a multi-year Foote study of ecology of the river. You'll find more photos of the visit on our Photo Gallery pages.

Foote School Visits China 2010 When Foote's ninth grade students and several teachers visited China in March of 2010, one of them called the school each day to report on their adventures and activites, which were then posted on the web for friends and families to read. Click here for that daily diary.

Foote Students Visit China 2011:

March 17-Hong Kong

The group met back at Yali early this morning for difficult good-byes with their host families, epals and guest teachers. Xie Jun accompanied them to the airport for their flight to Hong Kong.

Upon their arrival in Hong Kong, they traveled directly to the tram station and took the tram up Victoria Peak, where AJ gave his docent presentation. He told the group about the history of the Peak in particular and of Hong Kong in general. The group enjoyed seeing the famous buildings along Victoria Harbour.

They then took a bus ride around Hong Kong Island, stopping in Stanley, where some visited the market and some walked along the beach.

The driver then took them to the ferry station, so they could take the Star Ferry to Kowloon Peninsula, where their hotel is located. Bea gave her presentation on the ferry, as the Star Ferry is a historic company that has become a symbol of Hong Kong.

They walked up the main thoroughfare, Nathan Road, and checked into the Kimberly Hotel. After a short rest, they had a simple noodle supper near the hotel. Some ventured out to the night market while others went to bed.

After a full and exciting trip, the group looks forward to coming home tomorrow to share their experiences in China. They will get up early for their flight back to Newark, where they are expected to arrive at 1:45 p.m. The kids will call home once they've crossed the Connecticut line so parents can plan a pick-up time. A joyous reunion lies ahead!

posted 3/17/11 @ 1:19 p.m.

March 16-Updates from Changsha

It was a beautiful, sunny day in Changsha, and Xie Jun kept the Foote School delegation busy every minute of it!

After breakfast with their host families, they met at Yali's main campus. Each Foote student and teacher attended a different Senior 1 (10th Grade) English Class, where they were interviewed by the Yali students.

The group then traveled by bus to the Hunan Provincial Museum, where docent Caleb introduced the group to the 2000-year-old Mawangdui Han Tombs. The tombs were uncovered during a construction project at the outskirts of Changsha in the 1970s. The exhibit features a myriad of intact burial artifacts--silk robes, musical instruments, cosmetics, games, carved servants--as well as the preserved body of a noble woman.

The next stop was another Yali affiliated school: Beiya Middle School, which opened last year and now has classes for junior 1 and junior 2 students (seventh and eighth graders). The Beiya students came pouring out of their classes to see the Foote Delegation, prompting Jesse to remark that he felt like a rock start from all the attention! The Foote group had a delicious lunch in the faculty dining room, then toured the campus, tried their hands at calligraphy and played three games of basketball. Later they met with the student association, where an 8th grade girl who has taken the English name Romeo led them through several games and, after a lesson on several Chinese sentences, a Chinese language competition.

Due to heavy traffic, the group had to shorten their visit at the Yuelu Confucian Academy, but Britney was able to give her docent presentation and take the group quickly through the main courtyards. The academy is over 1,000 years old. It is one of the four most prestigious ancient academies in China. During the imperial period, famous scholars throughout China traveled to Changsha to teach and to study at Yuelu. It is now part of Hunan University.

The group spent the rest of the afternoon flying kites on Orange Island.

In the evening they attended a farewell banquet at Qinhuang Restaurant and then returned home with their host families to pack for Hong Kong.

posted 3/16/11 @ 12:24 p.m.

March 15- Visiting Yali

Despite the cold temperature and intermittent rain, the group had an amazing day, filled with warm interactions with old and new friends from Yali. They started the day back at the main campus after breakfast with their host families. The kids and teachers enthusiastically shared their reflections on the first night of their homestays.

The group spent the morning at Nanya (South Yali) Boarding School, where they were greeted by Principal Sun Quangui, who visited Foote in 2009, Xiang Jiaxiang (Joshua), our 2009 guest teacher, and Jacky, the son of our 2007 guest teacher Li Yu. (Jacky also visited Foote in 2009.) Foote students visited and participated in several arts classes, including charcoal drawing, flower arranging, piano and ballet! They then toured the campus, including the student dormitories, and were treated to a delicious lunch in the cafeteria. (Unfortunately Sheila sprained her ankle at Nanya, but her host family mother is a pediatrician, so she's receiving top-notch care.)

After lunch the group visit the local farmers market, where they were amazed by the variety of products, and the new high speed rail station, where they walked along the platform to see the bullet trains.

They then visited a new Yali affiliated school, Yiya, which opened this year with 72 7th graders (60 of whom board at the school). They were greeted there by Principal Qu Zhijian and English Director Hu Yuming, both of whom visited Foote in 2008. The group attended classes and then played a game similar to hot potato with the Yiya students. They all sat in a circle and passed a bean bag around while music played. Whoever held the bag when the music stopped had to perform something. Several of our students ended up with the bean bag, including Britney, who danced the robot, and Aidan, who made some interesting sounds (to the delight of the students and the chagrin of the faculty).

The group then went next door to visit a brand new primary school. They were surprised to see the floors painted with images from Winnie the Pooh!

Back at Yali, the students attended a dinner and party sponsored by Paul's epal Zhao Zhi (George) at a local hotel. The faculty had dinner with all of Foote's former guest teachers and delegation leaders and were then treated to a traditional Hunan-style foot massage. Everyone returned home to their host families quite late, tired but happy.

Tomorrow promises to be clear and warm. The group will spend their last full day in Changsha visiting one last Yali school and two cultural sites: the Hunan Provincial Museum and Yuelu Confucian Academy.

posted 3/15/11 @ 8:12 p.m.

March 14 – Welcome at Yali!

After an early breakfast, the group flew from Xi'an to Changsha, where they had a joyful reunion with Xie Jun, who will act as their host throughout their stay at Yali. The group was also met by Secretary Wu and Peng Lian (Penny), who visited Foote School this past fall, and Wang Manchun (Anthony), who visited Foote in the fall of 2009.

The group had a hearty buffet lunch and then went to the main campus of Yali, where the students attended English classes taught by Yale-China Fellows.

Meanwhile, the faculty met with Principal Liu, who welcomed the group warmly and asked them about their activities in Beijing and Xi'an. The conversation then focused on the new building projects happening at the same time at each school! The main teaching building at Yali was demolished this fall and is being replaced by a new facility. The school purchased an adjoining property where classes are being held during construction. The administrators and faculty from both schools enjoyed sharing their experiences with the difficultes and the delights of campus improvements. The concurrence of these building projects seems to be another loop in the knot that hold the schools together.

The full group then attended a Welcome Party, or assembly, where the Foote students and Yali students performed and gifts were exchanged between the two schools. Then the group visited the Yali History Room, which was dedicated at the school's hundredth anniversary in 2006. The exhibit traces the history of the school and shows a great deal about the history of China over the past 100 years.

Finally, the students and faculty met their host families and left school to have dinner and spend the night with their hosts.

Sheila reported that the students are in good health and good spirits. They were all thrilled to see their Yali e-pals again and excited to begin their homestays.

posted 3/14/11 @ 1:15 p.m.

Snapshots from China

March 13 – Bicycling the Xi'an City Walls, Attending a Music and Dance Performance

• An activity-packed day began at the Da Ci'en Temple complex and the Dayan Ta (Great Goose) Buddhist Pagoda. The students saw monks in saffron robes, and docent Gabe told them about the translation room, built for the famous traveller and translator Xuan Zang upon his return from studying in India so he would have a place to store his 657 volumes of Buddist scriptures and create many more. The students climbed to the top of the 64.5 meter (211.6 feet) high structure. (photo at right)

• Aidan, the Ancient City Wall docent, described the importance of the Wall throughout history (it's the only intact ancient defense fortification still standing). Then the group rented bicycles and rode the entire 14 kilomoters along the top of the ancient Wall. It was a lovely 60 - 80 minute ride with remmants of the Lantern Festival in evidence throughout.

• The next stop was Zhong Lou and Gu Lou (Bell and Drum Towers), where Luke was docent. The students got to climb to the top of the tower and also watched a drumming show. Rob was docent at The Great Mosque, noting that was built during the Ming dynasty, that it is the largest mosque in China, and that it combines Chinese and Arabic influences.

• Next came Gao’s Grand Courtyard, also dating to the Ming Dynasty, where Paul was docent. The group experniced a shadow puppet show, afterwhich the group visited the Muslim Market Place – and had a great time bargaining for gifts to bring home.

• The travelers capped the day off by attending a performance of the Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show at the Shaanxi Opera House. Not on the itinerary, this was highly recommended by Beijing guide and school friend Weifang and did not disappoint. The Tang Dynasty dates to 618 - 907 and Music and Dance Show is keeps alive its splendid culture and provides insight into the peaceful life style of the period. As an art form, the show has its roots in folk fetes, when dances were first performed by people as part of rituals of prayer for a good harvest or a better life. Shelia sad the music was amazing, noting one all-male group with symbols large and small and the range of sounds they produced.

Tomorrow: off to Changha and reunion with Yali friends.

March 12 – Terra Cotta Warriors, Hot Springs, and Dumplings

After an overnight train ride from Beijing, the group arrived in Xi'an at 7:50 a.m, They relished a combination Chinese/American-style breakfast at the Bell Tower Hotel. The hotel looks out on the Tower itself; during the Empire period, the bells were rung each morning to announce the opening of the city walls.

The group spent the day in the outskirts of Xi’an, visiting several historical sites.  The Terra Cotta Warriors Museum, where Brooke gave her docent presentation, was a big hit. The had students sculpted their own terra cotta warriors in Karla’s art class in January, so they were very interested in seeing the unique facial expressions on the individual warriors.  The group also visited a new site this year, the Huaqing Hot Springs. Docent Rachel told the group that the site has been home to a famous imperial bathing pool and various palace complexes over its 3,000-year history. It is a National Cultural Relic and one of China’s Hundred Famous Gardens. Sheila reported that the site is under renovation, but the students were able to put their hands in the very warm water flowing from the springs. They next took a tram up Lishan Mountain, the very steep peak behind the hot springs, and the views were spectacular.

Back at the Bell Tower Hotel, having taken much-welcomed showers, they feasted on a traditional "dumpling banquet" at De Fa Chang. The many different types of dumplings come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and flavors, from tiny pearl dumplings to dumplings made from black rice and fruit-filled dumplings. The group sampled at least 15 different kinds. The record for eating the most dumplings goes to the student who ate 35!

The travelers are now resting up for their bicycle ride on the city walls tomorrow.

posted 3/12/11 @ 930 a.m.

March 11 – A Lamasery, Olympic venures and off to Xi'an

Sheila Lavey called and reported that it was a beautiful sunny day in Beijing.

The morning started with the group's third Tai Chi lesson, afterwhich they had breakfast and finished packing. They visited the Yonghegong Lamasery, pictured at right, where Sang gave his docent presentation. (This is a Tibetan Buddhist Temple that features an 85-foot-tall statue of the Maitreya-Buddha of the future – carved from a single piece of Tibetan sandalwood).

They stopped by the Olympic venues (Bird's Nest and the Water Cube) and then had a good-bye lunch. They spent the afternoon at the Summer Palace, where Jack and Zac gave their docent presentations.

They said a heart-felt farewell to Weifang at the train station and had a simple dinner on the train (ramen noodles!) and are settling in for a pleasant night.

Everyone is healthy (except for a few minor colds) and in excellent spirits. Great trip so far; everyone is looking forward to the next stage of their journey.

posted 3/11/11 @ 8:40 a.m.

March 11 @ 8:20 a.m. Beijing time
Not to Worry: China Quake Far from Foote Travelers

There was 5.4 magnitude earthquake on March 10 at 12:58 p.m. Beijing time outside of Yingjiang in Yunnan Province, which is located in southwestern China along the border of Myanmar. The area is prone to quakes, experiencing over 1,000 minor tremors in the last two months. The quake is far from the path of our Foote School travelers – about 1,000 miles from Beijing – and should have no impact whatsoever on their safety or experience. Click on map at right to enlarge and see the relative locations.


HELLO FROM THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

"Hello" in Chinese from the Great Wall!

Lunch was extra special: Each student had a box of six pastries (filled with pumpkin, chestmuts and, dates) from the oldest pastry shop in Beijing – which has been in business for several hundred years. Each pastery was maked on the top with the name of its filling written in edible ink!

Back at the hotel, the travellers were joined by students in Weifang's English class at Renmin University. Groups of two or three college students joined with groups of four Foote students to have dinner together at a variety of restaurants on or near campus.. The university students were delighted to practice their English with the ninth graders.

Tomorrow is a busy day, with visits to the Summer Palace and the Yonghe Gong Lama Temple before the group heads to Xi'an on an overnight train.

posted 3/10/11 @ 9:30 a.m.

View postings from previous days of this March 2011 trip.

Complete Itinerary